The Revenge
by Lollipop456
Summary: Sorry for terrible title. When Lila's grandmother Lily dies, she makes her promise on her deathbed that she will find and kill the one who murdered her husband and Lila's grandfather, Deagol. As Lila sets out on her mission of revenge, she finds herself in Bree when she hears about The One Ring, that she knew her grandpa's killer had. Yes, this is a tenth-walker fic. Be gentle.
1. Chapter 1

Lily loved her children. All five of them. However, if she had one complaint, it would be the number of dishes to wash. Between the five meals that the family had, the washtub was often full.

One morning, Lily was washing dishes when her husband, Deagol, emerged from their bedroom, holding his fishing pole. Lily turned to face him.

"Deagol, where do you think you're going this time of day?" Lily asked.

"Fishing with Smeagol. I'll be back for luncheon."

Lily sighed. "I wish you wouldn't. I understand that Smeagol is your cousin, mind you, but he's such a peculiar fellow. I don't want him to put you in danger."

"Smeagol wouldn't hurt me. Since we were small he's been like my own brother."

After seeing Deagol frown like a sad child, Lily laughed and kissed him.

"Very well. Be back soon though. I'm making radish soup for luncheon." Lily said.

Deagol twirled his finger in Lily's brown curls. "My favorite. I invited Smeagol to join us."

"Why would you do that?" Lily asked.

"It's his birthday. With his parents dead, he gets lonely." Deagol briefly explained.

Lily gave another smile and kissed Deagol again. "All right, I'll set an extra plate out."

Deagol brought his other hand to Lily's cheek. "I love you, Lily."

"I love you. Now, go on, or that pole there will go to waste."

Deagol smiled and then left the home and Lily went back to washing the dishes.

Hours came and went, and Deagol still wasn't home. By sunset, Lily knew something was wrong. By late evening, she had put the children to bed and had just grabbed her cloak to go out and search, when there was a knock on the door. Lily rushed to answer it, only to see her neighbors, Marsh and Susan; they were an elderly couple, who very rarely set a foot outside their home. Something had to be wrong.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"They're needing you by the fishing pond." Marsh said.

"Oh, what business could I have there? I've not fished since I was little, and I couldn't leave the children." Lily knew she was making excuses, but only because she feared what was at the pond.

"Marsh and I will mind the wee ones. Lily, it's best that you go." Susan said quietly.

Lily nodded slowly and then wrapped her cloak around her shoulders. "Petunia is having a tooth come in; she might wake up, but if you put your finger on top of the gums, then..."

"I've had nine of my own, dear. Go on now." Susan urged.

Lily rushed from the home, and all the way down to the fishing pond where a crowd had gathered. When she heard some whisper her husband's name, Lily raced forward and pushed her way through the crowd. There, laying on the ground, his body only visible by moonlight was Deagol; his lifeless eyes staring at nothing, and hand marks around his neck.

"Deagol!" Lily sobbed, throwing herself on top of his body. "Deagol, please. Please wake up. The children have been worried about you, and I've made your favorite soup."

Lily brought her hand to Deagol's face, stroking his cold cheek. Someone finally helped her to her feet and pulled her gently away from her husband's corpse.

"Who's done this?" Lily asked quietly, but it seemed no one wanted to answer. "Who has killed my husband?" Lily shouted.

"We're thinking it was his kin, miss. Smeagol." A man explained.

Lily felt her head spinning. Deagol thought he could trust Smeagol, he loved him. Why would Smeagol do such a terrible, unforgivable thing? Worst yet, why hadn't Lily stopped Deagol from going fishing? Why didn't she listen to her instinct and tell him to stay home? Eventually, Lily's mind became so clouded that she could no longer think straight and the next thing she saw was blackness as she fell to the ground.

When Lily came to, she was laying in her bed and being tended to by Susan who placed a cold cloth on her forehead.

"Try not to get up so quickly. You've had a terrible shock." Susan warned.

"Where are the children?" Lily asked, able to find her own voice.

"All safe in bed, dear. They've not been told anything; I figured it best to leave that to you."

"Thank you." Lily sat up slowly, and Susan handed her a cup of water.

"Some ginger root in there. It gives a soothing feeling, it does." Susan explained.

Lily took a few sips from the cup and then handed it back to Susan. "Has Smeagol been found?"

"Not yet. The forest has been searched and searched, his home has practically been turned upside down."

Just then, there was a pounding on the door and Susan went to answer it. Marsh stood at the doorway with a lit torch.

"We've found him. He's not in his right mind, crazier than a cuckoo. We've taken him back to his home." Marsh practically mumbled.

"I want to see him." Lily said, standing on her feet.

Susan turned to Lily. "Dear, you need rest."

"I want to see my husband's murderer. If you won't take me, I'll walk myself."

Susan and Marsh looked at each other before Marsh nodded and escorted Lily out of the home and to the house of Smeagol. There was some neighbors with him, talking to him, trying to get answers to their questions. All Smeagol could do was rock back and forth, cradling a ring in the palm of his hand.

"Smeagol, we must know what happened to Deagol." A woman asked gently.

"He...He wouldn't give me my birthday present. I took it from him. We wanted it." Smeagol mumbled.

"Is that it? The ring that you're holding?" Another woman asked.

"It's my precious. We needed it. It's ours, it was."

Lily wasn't sure what came over her. Grief, anger, or a bit of both; but the next thing she knew she was running towards Smeagol, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"A ring? My husband was killed for a ring? You're a monster, Smeagol! A monster you hear! A leech!" Lily screamed.

Lily scratched Smeagol's face, drawing blood, before being restrained by two men and forcibly removed from the home.

"I'll kill you, Smeagol! Your blood will be on my hands, I swear it! I'll kill you!" Lily screamed before the door closed in her face.


	2. Chapter 2

No one, at first, was certain what to do about Smeagol. They couldn't execute him, that was against their very nature. Any form of violence was out of the question as well; but everyone knew something had to be done. Smeagol was slipping further into madness, and became extremely violent if someone even dared to look at the ring that he carried. Perhaps, because of this madness, Smeagol began to make a sordid choking sound and everyone started to call him Gollum.

Eventually, banishment was the punishment chosen for Smeagol. Lily was far from happy with this choice, not once believing that the punishment was fitting for the crime. Once the sentence was carried out, Lily became different in many ways. She wept at the mention of Deagol's name, spoke only about finding Smeagol and killing him, and often seemed distracted and withdrawn.

Susan took it upon herself to see that Lily's children were looked after. Cooking meals, washing clothes, providing them with knowledge of what was necessary. At the age of 107 though, Susan passed away. By this time, however, Lily's children had grown up. Three of the oldest had already been married for sometime and had children and grandchildren. The two twins, Herbs and Petunia, were married; although Herbs wife remained barren, Petunia and her husband were busy with their little girl, Lila.

Because it was Petunia that inherited the home of her father and mother, she took it upon herself to care for Lily, who was practically a living shell of herself. Thin and as frail as a babe, the 98-year-old had grown tired from her constant grief and endless thoughts of revenge.

When Lily grew sick, there was nothing that could be done. She no longer had the will to live, and her heart was weak. When her time came, it was her granddaughter Lila that she called to her side. The 5-year-old placed her delicate hand on top of Lily's.

"My little Lila. My namesake. Do you love Grandmother?" Lily asked.

"Very much." Lila said, wiping her tears with her arm.

"You mustn't cry, my dear. I have something important to ask you. Are you listening?"

Lila nodded. "Yes Grandmother."

"Your grandfather was a wonderful person. Never would he say an unkind word about someone else. His death ruined me, drained me of my strength. All I could think of was being certain that Smeagol paid for what he had done. I am asking you, my little Lila, to carry out these thoughts. When you are old enough, leave this place and find Smeagol. Once you find him, I want you to kill him."

Lila was surprised. At five, she already knew the difference between right and wrong and had always been taught that taking another life was a very terrible thing to do. Still, she loved her Grandmother, and this Smeagol had taken her chance of meeting her Grandfather. Also, this was her Grandmother's last request. What sort of granddaughter would she be if let her grandmother die telling her that she couldn't do this one last favor.

"I'll do it, Grandmother. I'll kill Smeagol." Lila said quietly.

For twenty years, Lila stayed silent about her promise that she made to grandmother. That is, until the day that Petunia caught her packing her belongings.

"Lila, what are you doing?" Petunia asked.

"I'm leaving, Mother. I'm leaving the Vales of Anduin." Lila said.

"Where are you going?" Petunia asked.

Lila sighed. "I'm going to Eriador. If I take the high pass through the mountains, it shouldn't be too difficult. I think it may be the only place that Sme.."

"What did you say, dear?"

Lila turned to face her mother. "It may be the only place that Smeagol would have gone when he was banished. Stoorish or not, he was still a hobbit and must have wanted to be with his own kind, even in his madness. If not, someone could have information."

"You're going to find Smeagol? Why would you do something like that? Even if he is alive, which I sincerely doubt, there is nothing that can be gained from finding him."

"Yes, there is, Mother. Revenge. For the Grandfather that he killed, and the Grandmother that he ruined."

Tears filled Petunia's eyes as she walked over to Lila, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Father was killed when me and your uncle were babes. We never knew him, so Mother kept telling us. She always said that we could never know how she felt, because we didn't know him. My sisters and brother all tried to reason with her that revenge would solve nothing. She never learned, even when she laid dying...She never learned. Her heart had hardened over the years, and I won't let that happen to you. Lila, do not do this."

"She was my Grandmother." Lila murmured.

"And I'm your mother!" Petunia snapped.

"Then you should want this as much as I do!"

Petunia slapped Lila across the face. Lila stood there, taken aback by her mother's behavior. She quickly gathered the last of her things and stormed out of the room; not even thinking to look back.


	3. Chapter 3

Her cheek felt numb and warm. In time, she knew the physical pain would pass, but the pain that had been inflicted on her heart would not go away easily. She couldn't understand what had drove her mother to hit her, for all of Lila's life she'd been even tempered and she and her siblings hadn't received anything more than a switch to their backsides. Now, when she had decided to leave and do what needed to be done, Petunia had turned on her.

"Why doesn't she want this?" Lila asked out loud.

Lila kept asking herself that question, as she walked alongside the Anduin. Both of them had been robbed of time with Deagol and only lived with stories told by Lily. What stories they were! Often they were about how much he loved Lily and how he went about asking for her hand, or occasionally Lily would mention how much he doted on the children and would often take them to fish. Sometimes, take them to fish with Smeagol. Cousin Smeagol.

Her fists clenched and relaxed. If she allowed her mind to cloud with the hate now, then she would never find her grandfather's murderer. No, she had to focus on her travels, else she would find herself lost somewhere.

For four days she walked, only stopping to drink, eat, and sleep. Her large feet were covered with all sorts of blisters and bruises, even the occasional open sore. When she reached a town, she would need to tend to them. By the fifth day of her travels, she had reached The Misty Mountains.

She recalled her grandmother once telling her that the low pass was treacherous and likely to be filled with orcs. Lila didn't feel like chancing it, and so she took The High Pass. This was certainly different than flatter ground; there were rocks that she had to climb over and the ground itself was rough, as opposed to the familiar soil and grass she had felt all her life.

While traveling through The High Pass, she came to The East Road, which would take her through Eriador. Of all the places in Middle-Earth, Eriador had several villages for hobbits to live in. Surely, someone there had heard of Smeagol.

After three more days of travel through the Misty Mountains, Lila reached the land of Eriador. She did what she could to avoid going through the more dangerous areas, such as Trollshaws and the Ettenmoors. She was relieved when she arrived at the gates to Bree, despite the storm that had managed to catch up with her.

Drawing her shawl over her head, Lila pounded her fist against the gate. A small window opened and an old man's face suddenly appeared.

"Who goes there?" The old man asked.

"Please, I want to enter the village." Lila said.

The old man opened the gate and shined his lantern in Lila's face. "A fifth one." He scoffed. "How many of you are there?"

Lila felt her heart thumping in her chest. So, there were hobbits in Bree! She was so certain that of all the places in Eriador, that Bree-land would be the last place to be occupied by hobbits.

"So, there are more hobbits here?" Lila asked.

"Four wee ones came only moments ago. Looking for shelter and such like." The old man explained.

Lila wiped rain drops away from her face. "Well, shelter does sound pleasant."

"Come in then. You'll find The Prancing Pony not far from here."

The old man allowed Lila to step inside the village. Growing up amongst only hobbits, Lila saw the many men around her to be unswarthy and rather overbearing. She reached the inn called The Prancing Pony and stepped inside, removing her shawl. What she really wanted was a drop of ale to warm her up, a comfortable bed, and some dry clothes. That would just have to wait though; she had to meet these other hobbits before they were gone. A large man, likely the owner of the inn, leaned over and looked down at Lila.

"Ah, hello there! What is your pleasure, ma'am?" The man asked.

"I would love a room. My name is Lila Jarrow." Lila said.

The man looked Lila up and down and then gave a small smile. "You're Stoorish, ain't you? Well, bless me! The four lads that came in were Fallohides, by my eyes that is. Never seen so many halflings in one night. I'll get you a room right away."

"Excuse me. Would you point me in the direction of the other hobbits?"

"Certainly. They're at the bar, having food and drink. Thinking they're a relation?"

"Not exactly. They just may be able to help me with my problem."

Lila entered the tavern section of the inn, and found four hobbits sitting at a table in the corner. All male, and not much older than Lila. Just by their shape and features, she knew they weren't Stoorish. From stories, Smeagol had always been against socializing with hobbits that weren't born a Stoor. Was it even likely that in his madness that he had forgotten this? That one of these hobbits knew where Smeagol was? Or at least knew about him?

Taking a deep breath, Lila went up to the table. The four hobbits looked up at her, in a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and perhaps just a little bit of fear.

"My name is Lila Jarrow. There don't seem to be many hobbits here, and I was wondering if I could join you? I don't like to be by my lonesome, you see."

"I'm afraid we're not very good company." One of the hobbits said quietly.

"Frodo, she seems all right." Another hobbit whispered.

"We are to trust no one, Sam." The first hobbit whispered back.

"I don't mean to intrude, believe me. I'm only looking for a little conversation, nothing more."

The four hobbits looked amongst each other, before the bigger one named Sam slid down the bench, allowing a seat for Lila. She nodded her head in gratitude and took a seat.

"What is your business in Bree?" Frodo asked.

Lila cleared her throat. "I'm looking for someone. A stoorish hobbit."

"You're certain that you're looking for a Stoor? Not a Fallohide?" Sam asked.

"Believe me, he's a Stoor. He's a distant relation, you see. Kin to my grandfather."

"We don't know many stoors, I'm afraid." Sam said.

"Perhaps if I told you his name. It's Smeagol. Of course, he may not go by that now."

"What's his other name then?" Sam asked.

"It was only a name he was called because of habits. My grandmother says he began to make a choking sound, and so everyone came to call him Gollum."

One of the hobbits on the other side of the table spilled his ale on the table. In a second, the mood had changed. The four became fidgety, eyes shifting around the tavern as if they were being watched.

"Please leave." Frodo finally said.

"I didn't mean to upset anyone." Lila said.

"We know nothing about this Gollum, and we'd like you to leave us." Frodo was on the verge of shouting.

"Pardon, sir, but you do know him. Or you know something about him. I must be told what you know." Lila said urgently.

It was then Lila saw something around Frodo's neck. A chain with a ring dangling in the middle. Hadn't she heard her grandmother say something about a ring? That her grandfather was killed because of one?

"Where did you get that ring?" Lila asked.

"It's none of your concern." Frodo said in a low, quiet voice. "A gift from a friend, that's all."

Lila could tell that Frodo was near losing his patience. She sensed that there was something almost dangerous about him. She wanted the information about Gollum, but perhaps it would be better to ask when Frodo had calmed down.

Giving a defeated sigh, Lila thanked the hobbits for their company and left the table. She was given the key to her room and went upstairs. The moment her head laid down on the pillow, she was fast asleep. Although, her nightmares of her grandfather being strangled made her restless. She didn't want that information, she needed it.


End file.
